2003 Green Book
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OFFICE FOR THE AGING
Adjusted
Appropriation
2002-03 		Executive
Request
2003-04 		Legislative
Appropriation
2003-04 		Change

STATE OPERATIONS
General Fund 2,587,000 2,979,000 2,291,000 (688,000)
Special Revenue-Federal 10,250,000 10,250,000 10,250,000 0
Fiduciary 250,000 250,000 250,000 0
Enterprise 100,000 100,000 100,000 0
Total for STATE OPERATIONS 13,187,000 13,579,000 12,891,000 (688,000)

AID TO LOCALITIES
General Fund 71,305,808 58,230,400 64,662,945 6,432,545
Special Revenue-Federal 105,600,000 105,100,000 105,100,000 0
Fiduciary 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 0
Total for AID TO LOCALITIES 177,905,808 164,330,400 170,762,945 6,432,545
LEGISLATIVE ACTION

The Legislature provides $183,653,945 on an All Funds basis, a net increase of $5,744,545 over the Executive budget submission. These actions reflect restorations to the State’s programs for the elderly.

Legislative Reductions

The Legislature denies the Governor’s proposal to transfer to the Office for the Aging, $688,000 related to a program within the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH), in the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), that serves elderly blind and visually handicapped individuals age 55 and older.

Legislative Changes

The Legislature recognizes the importance of senior programs that foster wellness, independence, and community involvement. The Legislature further recognizes that senior programs are cost-effective measures that help keep seniors healthy, active members of their communities and out of expensive, institutional care facilities. Therefore, the Legislature provides a total of $6,432,545 in local assistance funding in the State Office for the Aging (SOFA) to restore essential senior programs that were either eliminated or reduced in the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2003-04 Executive budget.

The Legislature fully restores $1,200,000 for the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) Program, a program that provides support services to older New Yorkers who live in apartment buildings and housing complexes that have significant numbers of residents who have aged-in-place. The Legislature also extends the NORC Program for an additional two years, until December 31, 2005. This Program was set to expire on December 31, 2003.

The Legislature also fully restores several programs that the Governor cut by 15 percent, including $141,300 for the Social Model Adult Day Care Program and $83,000 for three programs that provide respite care.

The Legislature partially restores funding for several other senior programs: $866,000 for the Congregate Services Initiative (CSI) Program; $442,000 for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP); and $200,000 for the Foster Grandparent Program, a program that provides an opportunity for low-income seniors to serve as mentors, tutors, and caregivers for children and teenagers with special needs.

The Legislature denies the Governor’s proposal to consolidate the Community Service for the Elderly Program (CSE) and the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) into a single program and to change the State/local contribution for the new Program from the traditional 75 percent/25 percent share to 70 percent/30 percent. Accordingly, the Legislature restores a total of $3,500,245 to the Community Service for the Elderly Program (CSE) and the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) related to these proposed changes, saving local governments from assuming new costs or reducing existing programs. This restoration amount includes funding of $139,015 for the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) and $101,108 for the Community Services for the Elderly (CSE) Program to restore one-third of the loss resulting from decreased allocations that would otherwise have occurred due to population shifts measured as part of the 2000 Census.

Of major interest to the senior community, although not administered by the State Office for the Aging, is the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program. The Legislature denies the Governor’s proposal to increase out-of-pocket costs for the elderly by increasing fees and deductibles for participants in the EPIC Program by 10 percent, and instead restores $4,000,000 related to denying the proposed increases. The Legislature also denies the Executive’s proposal to reduce drug reimbursement rates for pharmacies participating in the EPIC Program from the Average Wholesale Price (AWP) minus 10 percent to AWP minus 15 percent. Instead, the Legislature provides $20,400,000 related to the restoration of 3 percent of the 5 percent cut, bringing pharmacy reimbursement to AWP minus 12 percent.

Article VII

The Legislature denies Article VII legislation proposed by the Governor that:

  • Repeals Section 541 of the Executive Law to eliminate the Community Services for the Elderly (CSE) Program and the Expanded In-Home Services for the Elderly Program;
  • Enacts a new Section 541 to establish a consolidated Community Services for the Elderly (CSE) Program and to restructure the financing mechanism of the new CSE Program to increase the local government share from 25 percent to 30 percent; and
  • Replaces funding formulas, and reporting and planning mandates, established in current statute, with complete State agency discretion to develop such funding formulas, and reporting and planning requirements.
The Legislature adds new Article VII legislation that:

  • Extends the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) Program for an additional two years, until December 31, 2005. This program was set to expire on December 31, 2003.
Legislative Additions

The Legislature provides funding for the following:




PROGRAM APPROPRIATION VETO #

CSE/EISEP: DENIAL OF CONSOLIDATION AND FUNDING REDUCTION $3,260,122
NATURALLY OCCURRING RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES $1,200,000 69
CONGREGATE SERVICES INITIATIVE (CSI) $866,000 63
RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM (RSVP) $442,000 64
FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM $200,000 70
ADULT DAY CARE - SOCIAL MODEL $141,300 68
EISEP: CENSUS PHASE-IN $139,015 62
CSE: CENSUS PHASE-IN $101,108 61
EAC/NASSAU SENIOR RESPITE PROGRAM $36,000 65
NY FOUNDATION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS $26,000 67
LONG-TERM SENIOR RESPITE PROGRAM $21,000 66

*All program appropriations vetoed by the Executive, as indicated by a veto message number, were subsequently overridden by the Legislature.


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